I travelled on Hebridean Princess a few years ago. It's pricey for sure, but its also exceedingly good.
The overwhelming impression is of something unique and more than a little quirky (after all, you're on a converted car ferry with a stone chimney built through its decks). With a maximum of 49 guests, a voyage with them has the feel of a house party - and accordingly, guests can do their own thing or join in the activities as they choose. For example, one couple asked to be dropped with bikes on one side of an island we were passing and picked up when the ship got round the other side.
We hit a Severe Storm Force 10 whilst I was on board - bits getting torn off the superstructure, potted aspidistras sliding back and two, staff crawling around on all fours offering refreshments. Notably the assembled passengers responded to the storm by drinking the ship dry of Bollinger - definitely the right stiff-upper lipped response. That night one elderly lady on board was unwell and not able to make it to dinner. The staff member who took a tray of food to her cabin reported back that she was in bed with her pearl choker on - as, of course, one should always dress for dinner.
Passengers when I was on were all British, varied ages with quite a few around 40 and quite a few over 60. Apparently Sean Connery and Jackie Stewart have been amongst the guests as well as HMQ. Officers and crew were all Scots apart from the Purser (a Sassenach), the deckhands were all Hebridean locals who spoke to each other in Gaelic.
Food was out of this world. Truly, a culinary experience by any standards - definitely superior to a number of Michelin two-starred places I could think of.
Probably not an experience to compare directly with most other cruises - more akin to a small country house hotel, or perhaps one of the lesser known luxury trains. Most people on board seemed not to frequent cruises other than on Hebridean, but quite a high proportion were repeat visitors on board this ship.
What is Hebridean
in Hebridean Island Cruises
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I travelled on Hebridean Princess a few years ago. It's pricey for sure, but its also exceedingly good.
The overwhelming impression is of something unique and more than a little quirky (after all, you're on a converted car ferry with a stone chimney built through its decks). With a maximum of 49 guests, a voyage with them has the feel of a house party - and accordingly, guests can do their own thing or join in the activities as they choose. For example, one couple asked to be dropped with bikes on one side of an island we were passing and picked up when the ship got round the other side.
We hit a Severe Storm Force 10 whilst I was on board - bits getting torn off the superstructure, potted aspidistras sliding back and two, staff crawling around on all fours offering refreshments. Notably the assembled passengers responded to the storm by drinking the ship dry of Bollinger - definitely the right stiff-upper lipped response. That night one elderly lady on board was unwell and not able to make it to dinner. The staff member who took a tray of food to her cabin reported back that she was in bed with her pearl choker on - as, of course, one should always dress for dinner.
Passengers when I was on were all British, varied ages with quite a few around 40 and quite a few over 60. Apparently Sean Connery and Jackie Stewart have been amongst the guests as well as HMQ. Officers and crew were all Scots apart from the Purser (a Sassenach), the deckhands were all Hebridean locals who spoke to each other in Gaelic.
Food was out of this world. Truly, a culinary experience by any standards - definitely superior to a number of Michelin two-starred places I could think of.
Probably not an experience to compare directly with most other cruises - more akin to a small country house hotel, or perhaps one of the lesser known luxury trains. Most people on board seemed not to frequent cruises other than on Hebridean, but quite a high proportion were repeat visitors on board this ship.